Recent posts by christine boatwright

As I listened to this pod cast, it sounded like you, Paul, and Diana Leafe Christian were disagreeing but it seems to me as an outsider listening that you two were talking about the same goal. You were intent on establishing a simple vision (less is more, simple is dependable, etc) and Diana discussed complete structures to support that. So Paul has an established vision in which to gather like minded people and can effectively govern that structure because he is the one that has established Wheaten Labs in collaboration with those folks that share his vision. What's also happening is that the system allows for a flexible use of reflection to modify the structure as your group sees fit. So, you're not using an agreement to align your actions to, you're using the vision to guide your reflection and need for structure change. Being "dreamy" is the vision that should govern your group's direction, Paul, and will work as long as you are there to lead the structure. It's all good! You want organic, holistic, messy, growth and that is completely supported through your reflective practice.

A workshop is what I would call professional learning. Learning Forward is an organization focused on the topic of designing professional learning for educators, but it sounds like a perfect fit! Use all the standards when you're designing your workshop and you'll change people.

To piggy back on the previous comment, I found a lion's mane on an oak tree last week. If I had a slice of oak tree (stump or log), perhaps I could use the same method described with the H2O2 and inoculate that with the stalk I was left with to grow my own? I just read Mycelium Running and did not leave it with that understanding. Truth be told, I did read the book right before going to bed; I likely missed that part. I think I will go borrow that book from the library again.

I was a member of Enright Eco Village in Cincinnati for two years when I lived there. 45 families were sustained with excessive amounts of produce on less than 4 acres of land from early May until November. The farmer that organized our plantings used techniques to maximize seedling growth and vegetable harvest. We focused on raising vegetables and harvested fruit from CSA members who already had preexisting trees/canes/etc. My opinion is that if 45 families live well on less than 4 acres, your family can do well with your current amount of acreage - it's all determined by how you garden. Yes, you can grow more than enough food for you family on that amount of land.

Use intensive planting methods- if it's not growing or doing well, rip it out and plant something else.
Grow from seed- it's cheaper to begin and you can save your own seed, through open pollination, to grow veges suited for your geographic location
make friends with a cattleman, equine boarder, or zoo keeper with keys to the "black gold" bins - manure will replenish that which you taketh away
read Square Foot Gardening and The Resilient Gardner - these two books help you with planning and with thinking about outcomes.
Guinea pigs - research feed to meat ratio

I would like to see the most recent topic on the first page instead of the first post ever on the 1st page. I'm on satellite due to being rural and it's a pain in the arse flipping through pages getting to the most recent forum posting on some of your "classic" forums with hundreds of posts. It is good to be able to read historical context, but I want to do so at a later time.

So, why don't you other Kentuckians join us in helping us further the permaculture movement by contacting me in this thread. Let me know if you want to get involved in the process and design of this farm. We have no set plan yet, right now we are focusing on saving for the land and finding the right land in the right location for us. We are looking on the rural east/ south east side of Louisville between there and Lexington, anywhere from the Ohio River south to Bardstown. Please keep an eye out for us if you see anything for sale. We are not against moving across the river into Indiana.

Anderson, Franklin, and Shelby...don't forget about them! Scott and Owen are probably too far north for you and your wife, but you can get a good amount of land for your money there.

My husband and I are empty-nesters and building our new permaculture farm, too. I'm envisioning a culture of collaboration among newbie farmers and hoping to find others willing to engage in some productive discussions. We're in northern Scott County - within a respectable collaborative radius, for sure.

Sadieville is in Scott County, Kentucky. Great school system! Land is suited to grazing animals, berry production, and self-sustaining type farming. We found our perfect home here when we discovered a foreclosed home on 10+ acres. Land is inexpensive here for now relative to the rest of Scott County. There are some beautiful opportunities to purchase land. Good luck!